Typographical casting machine



y 13, 1954 v. M. CORRADO 2,683,525

TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 14, 1952 M W7INVENTOR 2: BY 2 ATTORNEYS July 13, 1954 V. M. CORRADO TYPOGRAPHICALCASTING MACHINE Filed June 14, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 13,1954 TYPOGRAPHICAL CASTING MACHINE Victor M. Corrado, Williston Park, N.Y., assignor to Mergenthaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New YorkApplication June 14, 1952, Serial No. 293,575

11 Claims.

This invention relates to typographical casting machines and, moreparticularly, to Linotype" machines of the general organizationrepresented in U. S. Letters Patent to O. Mergenthaler, No. 436,532,wherein circulating matrices and spacebands are composed in line andthen delivered to a vertically movable transporter or first elevator,the elevator lowered to bring the line to casting position between apair of vise jaws and in front of a mold, whereupon molten metal isforced into the mold against the faces of the matrices to form a typebar or slug, and finally the elevator raised to lift the line totransfer position preparatory to distribution of the matrices andspacebands.

The vise or line clamping jaws are mounted for horizontal movementtoward and from each other in the cap portion of a vise frame and areoperable separately or conjointly by a vertically movable rod which maybe connected through the medium of cell crank levers to either the leftor right jaw in quadding or to both jaws in centering. The variousoperating parts of the quadding and centering mechanism are built into ahousing detachably attached to the left-hand side of the vise frame andare described in detail in a pending application of L. Rossetto, SerialNo. 183,033, filed September 2, 1950. The vertical movements of theoperating rod for the bell crank levers are controlled by aspring-operated cam-controlled member of the justification mechanismwhich completes two upward and downward operations during each machinecycle. The first upward stroke of this justification member is utilizedto permit the vertical rod to be raised by a comparatively light springso as to move either or both vise jaws inwardly against a composed linepositioned in the casting position, and the second upward stroke of saidmember is utilized to impart an additional line squeeze pressure to thejaws prior to the casting operation. Thereafter, and as the endwisepressure on the line is released, the line is lifted by the elevatorfrom between the jaws and the jaws then restored to normal spread-apartposition.

When the justification member begins to descend after the first upwardstroke thereof, the spring pressure which served to close the jawsagainst the ends of the line is removed, thereby permitting a certaindegree of natural expansion of the line and, in addition, permitting thejaws to back away slightly from the composed line. This spongy conditionof the line and the receding movement of the jaws is most undesirablebecause, during the second or extra pressure apply.

ing stroke of the justification member, it is only possible to impart avery limited movement to the jaws, and to the extent that this limitedmovement has to be used up to regainlost motion, the extra pressure isreduced. One disadvantage of this loss of pressure could be the failureof the casting mechanism to function due to a standard safety devicewhich comes into action whenever the pressure is insufiicient to createan adequate casting seal. However, the loss of pressure more commonlyresults in the production of imperfect type bars, due principally to theformation of fins or burrs thereon.

As one feature of the present invention, the above difiiculty isovercome by the provision of means for preventing the jaws fromappreciably receding after the first operation of the justificationmember.

As mentioned above, the justification lever opcrates a second time justprior to the casting peration. In casting, the molten metal is forcedinto the mold and against the faces of the composed matrices as well asagainst the back surfaces of the vise jaws adjacent the ends of thecomposed line, the pressure exerted between the matrices and the visejaws creating a seal to prevent the escape of molten metal. The moltenmetal has a tendency to adhere to and build up on the clamping faces ofthe jaws, gradually forming small hard protuberances which, unlessremoved, will cause the production of imperfect type bars, damage theside walls of the matrices and give rise to other objectionableconditions. In regular machine operation (as distinguished from qauddingand centering) the composed line is fully justified between thepreadjusted and relatively stationary vise jaws by the expandingpressure of the spacebands, and this pressure is maintained to somedegree after the casting operation and while the composed line is beinglifted from between the jaws; consequently the jaws are consistentlysubjected to a wiping action by the two end matrices in the line,preventing the build-up of metal thereon. On the other hand, in quaddingand centering operations, the pressure during casting is exerted on theline through the jaw operating rod by the second upward stroke of thejustification membar. This pressure has to be substantially reduced toallow the line to be removed from between the jaws, and the timing issuch that the justification member begins its final downward travel inthe machine cycle before the line is lifted from between the jaws.Hence, when the justification member descends, the pressure applied tothe jaws through the control rod is removed and the jaws are free toyield, with the result that the desired wiping action is not achieved inquadding and centering operations.

Accordingly, as another feature of the present invention, supplementarymeans are provided to hold the jaws in contact with the line aftercasting until the line has been sufliciently lifted to achieve a wipingaction. Various devices have been heretofore proposed to achieve thiswiping action in connection with quadding and centering attachments; seefor example the clamping device described in the pending application ofR. H. Turner, Serial No. 229,594, filed June 2, 1951. However, thepresent invention provides a greatly simplified device and one which isrendered both operative and inoperative from the main cam shaft of themachine. Moveover, the present device is employed to overcome both ofthe above diificulties and thus performs a dual function.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing front and rear portions of aLinotype machine equipped with a quadding and centering attachmentembodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram of the control means for the instantclamping device;

Fig. 3 is a top plan cross-sectional view of the control rod and theinstant clamping device;

Fig. 4 is a rear perspective view of the control switch and theactuating cam for the improved device.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the quadding and centering mechanism,showing in particular the manner in which the control rod is operatedfrom the justification lever; and

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the pawls employed in producing the linesqueeze on the jaws.

After a line of matrices and spacebands has been composed, it isdelivered to a vertically movable transporter or first elevator I, theoperation of which is controlled in the usual way by a cam I a on themain cam shaft A through lever connections I and I. Upon receiving theline, the elevator descends to position it between a lefthand jaw 2 anda right-hand jaw 3 in alignment with a slotted mold (not shown)preparatory to the slug casting operation. Thereafter, the firstelevator is raised to the upper transfer level and the composed line isshifted therefrom for distribution.

The two line clamping jaws 2 and 3 are movable toward and from eachother and are operable by a vertically movable control rod 4 which isslidably mounted at its upper end in a bearing of a casting 5 within ahousing 6. The housing 6 is attached to the left side of the vise frame7. The control rod 4 is provided at its extreme upper end with anannular grooved collar 3 by means of which it can be selectivelyconnected to either of two oppositely disposed bell crank levers 9 andit for quadding or to both for centering. The bell crank lever 9 isconnected to the left-hand jaw 2 by a horizontal link Ii, and the bellcrank lever H3 is connected to the right-hand jaw 3 by a similar linkI2. Both bell crank levers are pivotally mounted on the casting 5. Theinward or closing movement of the jaws during a quadding and centeringoperation is effected by the upward movement of the control rod 4,whereas the outward or return movement of the jaws is effected by thedownward movement of the rod.

The upward jaw closing movement of the control rod is effected by meansof a long fore-andaft lever I3 forming part of the well knownjustification mechanism. The lever I3 is pivoted at its extreme rear endand is actuated in an upward direction by a powerful spring (not shown)under control of a cam I4 located on the main cam shaft A. The downwardmovement of the lever I3 is likewise effected by the control cam I4.During each machine cycle,'the lever I3 is swung upwardly and downwardlytwice in performing its regular justification function. As always, thejustfication lever I3 has a forked or bifurcated front end portionpresenting two arms, one arm serving to operate the justification bar,and the other arm I3 serving to control a spring-actuated rod (notshown) which operates, in a well known manner, a wedge-shaped clampingmember for the left-hand jaw. The arm I3 also has connected to it anextension casting 25 presenting a lower cam surface 25 and a top camsurface 25 (Fig. 5). The cam surface 25 is adapted to engage anantifriction roller carried by a lever 26 pivotally mounted at 26 in thehousing 6 and to thereby control its operation; while the cam surface 25is adapted to engage another antifriction roller carried by a U-shapedlever 27, likewise pivotally mounted in the housing 6 at 21*. The lever26 is always urged upwardly by a long but not too powerful tensionspring 28, but when the justification lever I3 is held in its normal ordownward position of rest by the cam I4, the cam surface 25 maintainsthe lever 26 in a downward or inoperative position against the tensionof the spring.

The levers 26 and 21 control the upward jaw closing and pressureapplying movements of the vertical rod 4, and they do so through themedi um of a series of pawls 29, 30, 3| cooperating with teeth 4* of arack 4 carried by the rod 4. The operation of the pawl 29 is controlledfrom the lever 26 through motion multiplying links 29 and 29 the formerlink being pivotally connected at one end to the lower end of the pawl29 and pivotally mounted at the other end in the housing 6, and thelatter link being pivotally connected to the lever 25 and the link 29near their pivots. A spring 29, connecting the pawl 29 and its link 29*,normally serves to urge the pawl into engagement with the rack 4 but, inits normal position of rest, the pawl is held out of engagementtherewith by a lip 32 protruding from a U-shaped member 32 and arrangedto contact a raised portion 29 on the pawl. The U-shaped memberstraddles the rod 4 and is mounted on the housing 6.

As best shown in Fig. 6, the pawl Si is set into a hollowed out portionof the pawl 38, and both are pivotally connected to the U-shaped lever27 adjacent its pivot 2'! so as to be moved bodily upward by the rise ofthe lever 21. More specifically, the pawl 3| is fast to a short shaft 33journaled in the arms of the lever 21, and the pawl an is pivotallymounted on this same shaft. A spur 34 on the shaft 33, actuated by aspring 34 serves to rock the pawl 3| into engagement with the rack 4 butthe spur is provided with a set screw 34 which, in the normal positionof rest of the parts, is adapted to seat on a ledge 5 of the housing 6and prevent such engagement. Similarly, a spur 35 protruding from thepawl 30. and actuated by a spring 35*, serves to rock the pawl 30 intoengagement with the rack 4 but this second spur is also provided with aset screw 35 which, in the normal position of rest of the parts, seatsupon another ledge 6 of the housing 6 and prevents su h engagement.

The operation of the jaw closing rod 4 will now be clear: With a line ofmatrices in position for a quadding or centering operation, thecam-controlled spring-actuated lever I3 is permitted to rise, said risecorresponding to the upward movement for first justification in regularmachine operation. As the lever l3 begins to ascend, the lever 26, underthe tension of the spring 23, also caused to rise, lifting the pawl 29.As soon as the raised portion 29 passes above the protruding lip 32, thepawl 29 comes into engagement with the rack 4 and serves to effectclosing of the jaw or jaws against the composed line. It is evident thatthe maximum pressure that can be exerted on the line by the action ofthe pawl 29 at this time is determined by the residual tension of thespring 28 after it has completed the jaw closing action. The further upward movement of the lever l3 brings the upper surface 25 into contactwith the lever 2'5, and as the lever 2'! moves about its pivot, itimparts a limited upward movement to the pawls 3e and 3! mountedthereon. These pawls come into engagement with the rack i the instantthe respective spurs 35 and 3% unseat from the ledges 6 and 5 The fullpressure of the justification spring is thereupon brought into actionagainst the composed line to supplement the pressure of the spring 28.

After the above described operation, the long fore-and-aft justificationlever i3 is forced downwardly by the control cam is preparatory to thesecond justification. The jaw closing rod 4, however, and of course therack 4 although relieving the force initially exerted on the composedline, remain in their upward or operated position due to the balance ofthe systm of levers and the weight of the jaws. .Now, once again thelever i3 is permitted to rise, this second rise correspondin to thesecond and final justifieation in regular machine operation, and thepawls 29, 36 and 3! are operated in the same manner above described. Atthe beginning of this second operation, however, the vertical rod t andthe rack are already in raised position, as just explained, so that thefull pressure of the fully tensioned spring 28 as well as the fullpressure of the justification spring are brought into play against thecomposed line before casting. After casting, the rod 3 is returned toits normal downi ward position by the upward movement of the elevator i,and the jaws are thereby restored to their usual fully separatedpositions.

As thus far described, the parts and their manner of operation arestandard and are fully described in the pending application of L.Rossetto, Serial No. 183,033, hereinbefore referred to, and inthemselves constitute no part of the present invention, which latter isdirected to improved means for clamping the control rod i at certainpredetermined times to acomplish the useful results before noted.

As shown in Fig. 3, the improved clamping device consists of a brassfriction stud l5, loosely set into a boring of the casting 5 andradially disposed in relation to the axis of the control rod a steelcollar ll seated directly behind the stud, and a lever l8 pivotallymounted in the casting 5 and having a head portion 48 in operativeengagement with. the collar ii. The stud i6 is intended to frictionallyengage the control rod when pressure is applied thereto by means of thepivotal movement of the lever 58, and the advance end of the stud isshaped to conform with the cylindrical contour of the control rod. The

other end of the lever 18 is provided with an adjustable set screw l9which banks against the end of the armature 20 of a solenoid 20. Thesolenoid 20 is attached to the casting 5 by means of an overhangingsupporting bracket 5*. When the solenoid is energized, the axial thrustof its armature pivots the lever IS in the direction indicated by thearrow in Fig. 3 to apply pressure on the control rod, and when thesolenoid is deenergize the pressure is relaxed.

The timed operation of the solenoid 2c is controlled by a switch 2| anda cam wheel 22 on the main cam shaft A. Th switch 2! depicted is of thenormally open leaf-type switch and has a roller Zi attached to butinsulated from one of the contacts. The switch is adapted to be closedat the desired times by two cam segments 23 and 23 properly located onthe cam wheel 22.

Referring to the circuit diagram in Fig. 2, the usual 110 A. C. voltagesupply is first stepped down to 24- volts by a transformer T and thenconverted to 18 volts D. C. by a selenium rectifier R. To preventsparking at the switch 2! when it is opened and closed, an arcsuppressor 24 (e. g., a selenium rectifier) is arranged in a parallelcircuit with the solenoid 2B.

The mode of operation is as follows: The first upward stroke of thejustification lever l8 permits the light spring to raise the control rod3 to close the operative jaw or jaws against the line. The timing issuch that while the spring pressure is thus exerted by the jaws on theline, the cam segment 23 closes the switch 2| and energizes the solenoid2!! which pivots the lever IS and. forces the brass stud l B intofrictional engagement with the control rod. With the clamping pressurethus applied to the control rod, the jaws are maintained against theends of the line and are prevented from backing away, even after thejustification lever descends and the upward spring pressure on thecontrol rod is removed. The earn segment 23 is long enough to keep theswitch 2! closed until the justification lever begins its second upwardstroke, at which time the segment runs out of contact with the switchroller 2 l and allows the switch to open, whereby the solenoid isdeenergized and the clamping pressure exerted against the control rodrelaxed to permit the upward extra squeeze drive of the control rod.However, before the justification lever begins its secand and finaldescent in the machine cycle, the second segment 23 comes into play torender the clamping device again operative, and the length of this sement is such that the line lock-up maintained until the elevator I, intransporting the line to transfer position, has risen about one inch.Thus, although the upward pressure on the control rod is removed whenthe justifica-tion lever makes its final descent, the continuedenergization of the solenoid 2i maintains the stud [6 in frictionalengagement with the control rod, holding the vise jaws against the lineunder surficient pressure to permit the two end matrices in line to wipeor clear away any deposit of type metal that might adhere to theclamping faces of the vise jaws. Thereafter, the switch 21 is opened,removing the clamping pressure of the stud E6 to permit the return ofthe control rod to normal position by the first elevator.

The invention has been shown in preferred form but obviously manyvariations and modifications may be made therein without departing fromits spirit. It is to be understood, therefore, that the invention is notlimited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as suchlimitations are specified in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a pair of lineclamping jaws movable one toward the other in quadding, a verticallymovable rod connectable to a jaw for eifecting its quadding movement, amember operable twice during each cycle of the machine, means controlledby said member in its first operation to effect the jaw closing movementof the rod and then release it and in its second operation to apply aline squeeze pressure to the rod in the quadding position of the jaw andthen release the rod, and automatic supplementary means operable duringeach operation of said member to apply a temporary clamping pressure tothe rod before each release thereof by the jaw closing and pressureapplying means.

2. A combination according to claim 1, including timing means for theautomatic supplementary means to maintain said clamping pressure on therod until after the completion of each operation of the said member.

3. vIn a typographical casting machine, the combination of a pair ofline clamping jaws movable one toward the other in quadding, avertically movable rod connectable to a jaw for effecting its quaddingmovement, automatic means operable first to effect the jaw closingmovement of the rod and then release it and operable next to apply aline squeeze pressure to the rod and then release it, and automaticsupplementary means rendered operative to apply a clamping pressure onsaid rod after the jaw closing movement thereof and before its firstrelease, rendered inoperative during the application of the line squeezepressure to the rod, and again rendered operative after the line squeezepressure has been applied and before the rod is next released,maintaining such pressure on the rod momentarily after the line squeezepressure has been released.

4. A combination according to claim 3, wherein the said supplementarymeans is controlled by a cam on the main cam shaft of the machine.

5. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a pair of lineclamping jaws movable one toward the other in quadding, a vertic'allymovable rod connectable to a jaw for effecting its quadding movement,automatic means operable first to effect the jaw closing movement of therod and then release it and operable next to apply a line squeezepressure to the rod in the quadding position of the jaw and then releasethe rod, a clamping member for the rod, and automatic electrical meanscontrolling the operation of said clamping member, said electrical meansbeing timed to apply a temporary clamping pressure to the rod beforeeach release thereof by the jaw closing and pressure applying means.

6. A combination according to claim 5, wherein said electrical means istimed to operate the clamping member twice during each machine cycle,once after the jaw closing movement of the rod and before its firstrelease, and again after the application of the line squeeze pressure tothe rod and before its second release.

7. A combination according to claim 5, wherein the electrical meansinclude a solenoid controlled by a cam on the main cam shaft of themachine.

8. A combination according to claim 7, including means actuated by theaxial thrust of the solenoid armature to effect the pressure of theclamping member.

9. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a pair of lineclamping jaws, a movable rod connectable to one of said jaws forquadding, a member operable twice during each machine cycle, meanscontrolled by said member in its first operation to effect the jawclosing movement of the rod and then release it and in its secondoperation to apply additional pressure to the rod and then release it,and automatic rod clamping means operable during the first operation ofthe said member before the first release of the rod and until thebeginning of the second operation of the said member, and operable againduring the second operation of the said member before the second releaseof the rod and until the composed line has been lifted partly frombetween the clamping jaws.

10. In a typographical casting machine, the combination of a pair ofline clamping jaws, a movable rod connectable to one of said jaws forquadding, a member operable twice during each machine cycle, meanscontrolled by said member in its first operation to effect the jawclosing movement of the rod and then release it and in its secondoperation to apply additional pressure to the rod and then release it,and automatic rod clamping means operable to prevent receding movementof the rod after its release in the first operation of the said member.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 10 including timing means forcausing the automatic rod clamping means to operate again to preventreceding movement of the rod after its release in the second operationof said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,949,302 Frolander Feb. 27, 193".- 2,051,804 Albrecht Aug.25, 1936 2,255,254 Hilpman Sept. 9, 1941

